Means for cleaning settling-basins.



No. 673,577. Patented May 7, l90l.

I. H. JEWELL. l MEANS FOR CLEANING SETTLING BASINS.

(Applicativi: tiled Jan; 25, 1901..) m0 Modem 2 Sheets-Sheet l.

No. 673,577. Patented May 7, I90I.

l. H. JEWELL.

MEANS F03 CLEANING SETTLING BASINS.

2 Sheets-.Sheet 2.

(Application lsd Jan. 25, 1901.)

valved inlet-opening 0,3.

UNITED STATES ATENT FFICE.

IRA H. JEWELL, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

MEANS FOR CLEANING SETTLING-BASINS.-

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 673,577, dated May 1901.Original application filed April l0, 1900, Serial No. 12,319. Dividedand this application led January 25, 1901. Serial To a/ZZ whom it mayconcern:

Be it known that I, IRA H. JEWELL, of Chicago, in the county of Cook andState of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMeans for Cleaning Settling- Basins; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to means for removing sediment from the bottomsof liquid-settling basins; and the object of the invention is to providean improved construction for doing this work without interrupting theusual operation of the basin and to generally improve the operation ofsettling-basins.

The invention is herein shown applied to settling-basins employed inconnection withv a water-filtering plant wherein the raw water issubjected to sedimentation before being directed tothe filter units.

The invention consists of the matters hereinafter set forth,and moreparticularly pointed out inthe appended claims.

In the drawings, Figure l is a diagrammatic view,in top plan, of afilter plant, showing a series of adjacent iilter units andsettling-tanks in communication therewith and a cleaning device for thebasins. Fig. 2 is a cross-section taken through the settling-basins,showing the cleaning device and support therefor in elevation. Fig. 3 isa plan View of the parts shown in Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detail view of thehinge in the pump-spout.

As shown in said drawings, A A designate two adjacent settling-basins,which are inclosed by side walls a a and end Awalls a a and separated bya division-wall or partition a2, extending the entire length thereof,each made rectangular and of considerably greater length than width andeach provided with a At one side of said settling-basins are located aseries of adjacent filter units B, arranged in a row extending parallelwith said basins. Said lter units are inclosed by side and end Awalls bb', re-

lspectively,.and the several units are separated by division-walls b2.rAt the side of said series of filter units is located a lteredtNomodel.)

water reservoir C, inclosed by sideand end walls c and o', respectively.Between said settling-basins and the series of filter units is located asettledwater channel D of a length equal to the series of filter units.Said channel is bounded at its sides by the walls a b of the basin andfilter units, respectively, and at its ends by transverse walls d d,extending between the longitudinal walls aand b. Said channel is hereshown as made of considerable capacity, but may be made smaller, ifdesired, or have the form of a pipe or fiume.

The walls of the settling-basins, the filter units, and the reservoir,as wellas those of the channel D when the lter is made of large area,will desirably be made of masonry construction, though metal walls mayin some instances be employed, and the several units of the plant may belocated farther apart than shown.

The dividing-wall a2 between the settlingbasins is provided at one endthereof, near the top of the wall, with a valved conduit a4, which leadsinto a transverse chamber or conduit A', formed at the end of the basinnearest the'filter units, between a short transverse wall a5 (extendingfrom one side wall a to the division-wall ce2) and the adjacent Wall ofthe basin. The other basin A communicates with said chamber through avalved conduit 0.6 in the wall a5, and the chamber A communicates withthe channel D through a valved passage a7 in the side wall o. of thebasin. The channel D communicates with each lter unit by means of one ormore valved conduits b3 in the wall b.

B designates the filter-bed bottom, through which the filtered water isdischarged into a chamber below the same. (Not shown.) Said chambercommunicates with the reservoir through an effluent-pipe b4, leadingthrough the walls b c. Said effluent-pipe is provided between the wallswith a valved branch pipe b5, which discharges into a conduit E, betweenthe series of filter units and the reservoir, and which conduit isdesigned to lead to a sewer.

The operation of the filter constructed as thus described is as follows:The raw water is discharged into the settling-basins through IOO ' berA'.

.from one end to the other thereof. carries a pumping or lifting deviceconsisting,

the passages a3 0,3, and from thence is discharged into thesettled-water channel through the passages c4, a, and ai and cham- Fromthe channel the settled water is delivered to the filter units throughthe valved pipes or passages b3 and is discharged from thefiltered-water chambers of the several units through the pipes b4 intothe reservoir Q, where the water is stored and conducted through one ormore valved passages c2, which are designed to be connected with` thecity mains or the like. With the use of the two basins connected, asdescribed, with the filter units the period of sedimentation of thewater may be increased to correspond with the condition of the water,whereby uniform results in the filtered water may be se-` curednotwithstanding different conditions of the raw water. The branch pipeb5, connected with the filtered-water-efduent pipe and discharging intothe sewer-conduit, is provided for the purpose of directing a portion orall of the filtered water to the sewer at such time when the quality ofthe water is below the reservoir standard. It sometimes occurs thatcertain of the filter units work badly by reason of improper attentionthereto, so that the effluent is below the required standard and shouldnot be discharged into the reservoir to pollute the properly-filteredwater therein. In such event the etliuentpipe of the unit in bad ordermay be closed and the branch pipe opened,which discharges the water tothe sewer until the filtered water is satisfactory.

The bottoms of the settling-basins become foul by reason of thesedimentation of the water passing therethrough, so that it is necessaryat intervals to remove such sediment from the basins.

Now describing the construction for removing the sediment from thebasins the same is made as follows: S designates a travcling cranelocated over and spanning the settling-basins from one side to the otherand traveling on tracks or rails A2, laid on the upper faces of the sidewalls a of the basins, Said crane essentially, of a rotary pump T,having a suction-spout t, which is adapted to reach to the bottoms ofthe settling-basins to lift the mud therefrom, and a discharge-spout t',which discharges into a hopper U at the side of the pump. Said pu mp andhopper are carried on a truck V, which travels on rails t2, extendinglongitudinally of the crane, whereby the liftmg device is given amovement transversely of the basin, as well as longitudinally thereof,so as to be able to pass over the entire horizontal area of thesettling-basins. Said hopper is provided with a discharge chute korspout U', which is designed to discharge the mud lifted by the pump intoa trough l/V, carried by the crane and extending from one side to theother thereof. Said trough con- -is in circuit with the conductor S4.

sists, as herein shown, of two sections, each of which inclines from theouter ends of the crane toward the divisionwall a2 of the basins, and isprovided at its lowest part with a discharge -chute w, which dischargesinto an elongated depressionor conduit A3 in the upper side of thedivision-wall or partition d2. Said conduit A3 is inclined from one endof the wall to the other, whereby the sediment discharged therein by thelifting device is carried outside of the settling structure.

The crane S is given motion through an electric motor S', located at oneside thereof and suitably geared to a shaft S2,- extending between andconnecting two of the supporting-wheels s at one side of the crane andconstituting the traction wheels therefor. A trolley S3, traveling incontact with an overhead conductor S4, transmits current to saidactuating-motor. Similarly the pump T and the transversely-movable truckV are actuated by an electric motor T', located on the truck atthe sideof the pump. Said motor is shown as connected directly with the pump andconnected bysuitable reducing-gears '1"f3 with a transverse shaft c', onwhich two of the supportingwheels 'u' of the truck, at one side thereof,are mounted.

-Suitable clutch mechanisms will be provided (not shown) forindependently controlling the action of the pump and truck or actuatingthe same together, as desired. Said truck is provided with a trolley t3,which travels in contact with a conductor t4, extending longitudinallyof the crane, and which conductor The suction-spout is made telescopicto permit it to be raised and lowered from and toward the bottoms of thebasins. Said spout 1f of the pump is provided with a hinged joint t5,(see Fig. 4,) located above the level of the wall d2, whereby said spoutmay be lifted'over said wall when the lifting device is shifted from onesettling-basin to the other; but said spout for this purpose may beotherwise made. Said lifting device may be operated to lift the sedimentfrom the bottom of either of the basins at the time the basin is incommunication with the settled-water channel and without disturbing theoperation of the basin, as the lower end of the suction-spout is nearthe bottom of the basinand the upward movement of the sediment isconfined to the suction-spout and will not remix said sediment with thesupernatant Water.

A main or principal advantage of the construction described for cleaningthe settlingbasin is that the sedimentmay be removed from the basinWithout disturbing the usual operation of the basin and without thenecessity of withdrawing the liquid being treated from the basin. It istherefore practicabie to maintain the basin in constant operation randto avoid wastage of the liquid resulting in the withdrawal of the samefrom the basin when the sediment is to be cleaned therefrom IOO IIO

as Well as the time heretofore necessarily employed in discharging theliquid from the basin. Moreover, said means of cleaning the basin whenused in connection with settlingbasins wherein a coagulant is employedto aid in settling the liquid enables a great saving in the use of thecoagulant, as it avoids the necessity of withdrawing from the basin theliquid charged With the coagulant.

1o Many changes may be made in the details of construction described, toadapt the same to various locations and for various uses, and I do notwish to be limited to such construction except as hereinafter made thesubject of specific claims.

The arrangement of the several parts of the plant shown in Fig. 1 of thedrawings is claimed in another application for United States LettersPatent filed by me of even date zo herewith, which application and thepresent application have been divided from my prior application led byme on the 10th day of April, 1900, Serial No. 12,319.

I claiml. The combination with a settling-tank for liquids provided withmeans for continuously receiving and discharging the liquid, of asuction device provided with a depending and upwardly-movable spouthaving its intake end located near the bottom of the basin andconstructed to remove,sedimentary matter from the basin during theusual'operation of the basin Without liability of remixing the sedimentwithdrawn with the supernatant liquid.

2. Thecombination with a settling-basin for liquids provided with meansfor continuously receiving and discharging the liquid, of a pumpsupported above and traveling over the basin and having anupwardly-movable spout depending thereinto with its intake end locatednear the bottom of the basin for lifting the sediment from the bottom ofthe basin, and means connected with the pump for 45 discharging thesediment outside of the basin, the operation being carried on Withoutinterrupting the usual operation of the basin.

3. The combination with a plurality of independent settling-basinslocated side by side, of a pump traversing the length of the basins 5oand having its spout designed to depend into the basins with its intakeend near the level of the bottoms thereof for lifting the sediment fromthe basins, and means for shifting the pump laterally from one basin tothe other, 55

said spout being capable of being lifted above the level of the Wallseparating the basins.

4t. A lter plant comprising a series of settling-basins havingcommunication with a raw-water supply, a settled-'Water channel or 6oconduit, a filter-bed in communication with said Water channel orconduit and means for mechanically removing the sediment from the bottomof the settling-basin and directing it outside the basin withoutinterrupting the usual operation of the basin.

5. A filtering plant comprising a settlingbasin having communicationwith a raw- Water supply, a settled-Water channel or conduitcommunicating with the basin, and a 7o filter-bed in communication withsaid Water channel or conduit, said settling-basin being provided in itsWalls with a sediment-carrying Channel.

p 6. The combination With a plurality of setcling-tanks located side byside and separated by a division-wall, a sediment-carrying channel inthe division-Wall, and means for directing the sediment from the bottomsof said basins to the adjacent channel of the division- 8o Wall.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I aftix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses, this 23d day of January,

IRA H. JEWELL.

